The handy-man stumbled into his unkempt front yard, its metes and bounds but indifferently defined by the remnants of what had been a picket fence; he made his way to the side door, which he threw open without ceremony.
As he had surmised, his old woman was up.

She was seated by the table in the corner, engaged in mending the ragged trousers belonging to Joseph Montgomery, junior.
At sight of Joe, senior, she screamed and flung them aside; then white and shaking she came weakly to her feet.

The handy-man grinned genially.
He was not of demonstrative temperament.
"Joe!" cried Nellie, as she sprang toward him.

"Dear Joe!" and she threw her arms about him.
"Oh, hell!" said the handy-man.
Nellie was hanging limply about his neck and he was aware that she had kissed him; he could not remember when before she had taken such a liberty.

Mr.Montgomery believed in a reasonable display of affection, but kissing seemed to him a singularly frivolous practice.
"Oh, my man!" sobbed Nellie.
"Oh, cheese it, and let me loose--I don't like this to-do! Can't a married man come home without all this fuss ?" "Dear Joe, you've come back to me and your babies!" And the tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I don't need you to tell me that--I got plenty sense enough to know when I'm home!" said Montgomery, not without bitterness.
"I mourned you like you was passed away, until your letter come!" said Nellie, and the memory of her sufferings set her sobbing afresh.
"Oh, great hell!" exclaimed Joe dejectedly.